The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-08-24
Washing Clothes with the Aid
of Kerosene.

Some housekeepers praise this prac-
tice (Which has been in use in the fam
ily of the Household editor for some
time) in a late number of the New York
Witness, and we give below their meth
dds, with that of our own:
Mary" one of the contributors
above named, declares the plan bless
ing to any one who tries it, and gives
her method: "Soak the clothes over
night; wiring them out and place them
in a boiler of cold water, with two
tablespoonful of kerosene oil and half
a pound of soap shaved up; boil twenty
minutes, rinse, blue and hang them
out. l do not rub my white clothes at
all and they are white and clean"
Ruth" thinks, now that she has
tried it, she could not wash any other
way, and tells how she does it: / have
good homemade soft-soap, quite thick;
put the clothes to soak the night be-
fore; in winter, use lukewarm water.
In the morning l put the boiler on,
stir two tablespoonful of kerosene oil
into pint of this soap and little hot
water; then heat well, wiring out the
clothes and rub the soap freely on all
soiled parts, laying them in the boiler
I then 90 about breakfast, and often
before eating the clothes are out and
in the suds-water. Some things, like a
farmers dirty shirts, may need slight
rubbing. The dirt seems to fall off.
Then rinse and blue and they are ready
to put out to dry. They do not smell
of kerosene"
g Mrs. H." uses kerosene right along.
1t makes the clothes look better with
less labor. She says "I either soak
the clothes over night, or put them in
water little warm and pound them a
minute or so with my FOUNDER; wiring
them out, having soaped water in the
boiler sufficient to cover them; add a
half tea-cupful of coal oil to a boiler
full of clothes; rinse twice in warm
water"
Mrs. Wilson," has discarded one OF
the best steam machines for the kero-
sene, with the result of winter clothes
but she also adds a little washing soda
:" If not convenient to soak the clothes
over night" she says, tone hour il
the morning will do. l fill the wash
boiler with water and let it boil; then
take about half of the water out, which
l keep for rinsing purposes, for it il
essential to rinse with warm water
To the water remaining in the boilel
add three-quarters of pound of soal
cut up, one small tablespoonful O.
washing soda and three tablespoonful
of coal oil; wiring the fine clothes Out
of the soak and allow them to boil fiji
teen minutes. If have any very dirt,
pieces l rub little soap on them ant
let them boil five minutes longer afte
taking the fine clothes out of the boiler
put back some of the water that cam
out with the clothes and then boil tn,
other clothes"
The method in use in our family is t.
soak the clothes over night and wrin
them out; place in the boiler enough
boiling water for the clothes to be pu
into. To this is added cake Qaundr
size) of Ivory soap, shaved up, AM
three spoonfuls of kerosene to ever
four pals of water. The water SHOULD
boil when the kerosene is put in. Thu
amount named should be enough TO
the washing for farmers family {
six persons. A part of soft-soap ma
be used, or all soft when its strength
ascertained. 1t will be we'll to rup soa
on the wristbands and bindings and ri
them well; but it greatly lessons tn
labor of this hard job of housework an
the whteness of the clothes leave
nothing to be desired One neighbo
who used tablespoonful of kerosene
thought it rotted the clothes, but W
have seen no indications of such a +,
suit with the amount we use.
From these several instances give
the housewife will no doubt be able
select or adopt method to suit her il
dividual needs, and will, we thin
find a trial of this aid a real help.